Cabin in the Cotton
Horace Pippin
c. 1931–37
Medium
Oil on cotton, mounted on Masonite
Dimensions
51 × 85 cm (20 × 33 1/2 in.)
Classification
oil on panel
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
111617
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Constructed of dense, thick layers of paint, Cabin in the Cotton exemplifies the tactile and vivid style of selftaught artist Horace Pippin. At a southern homestead, an older woman cares for a young child. Beyond, an expansive field of cotton evokes the hard labor, likely that of family members, required to harvest the crop. Pippin turned to painting as a mode of rehabilitation after injuring his arm while serving in World War I. Born in Pennsylvania, the artist’s interpretation of cotton fields...